The 'Busan International Marketing Advertising Festival' (MAD STARS 2025), the largest international advertising festival in Asia, will be held in Busan from the 27th to the 29th. It looks at the present and future of the advertising industry, where artificial intelligence (AI) and human creativity coexist.
This year's theme for the 18th iteration of the festival is 'AI-vertising, the era of artificial intelligence advertising marketing.' The organizers will present examples of how AI technology and others change the entire process of planning, production, and distribution.
The evaluation process was conducted in stages. From early February, entries from around the world were accepted for about four months. A total of 302 judges from 74 countries completed the online preliminaries, and a final judging panel of 34 members from 20 countries went through three rounds of evaluation. The winners, including the 'Grand Prix of the Year' awards, will be revealed at the awards ceremony on the 29th at Signiel Busan.
The academic conference institutional sector will cover industry trends. Kim Jong-hyun, CEO of Cheil Worldwide, will give a keynote speech on 'How to provide continuous value to clients in the AI era,' while Alex Abrantes, Chief Creative Officer at Iris Worldwide North America, will speak on 'Creative strategies that go beyond technological limits.'
Alongside talks by speakers that connect popularity and expertise, a next-generation talent program will also be conducted. Registration and operational information can be found on the official website. Some programs may change depending on the situation at the venue.
Lim Seong-hwan, Director of the Media Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, noted, "With the changes in the environment due to the spread of new technologies like AI, the domestic advertising industry is also facing a new phase," and stated, "The ministry will continue to support the advertising industry facing these changes."